


Calla Lily

by PastelPhoenix



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Bikes, Boring Scenarios, Drama, Explicit Language, Glorious golden locks belonging to the sun god, Gorgeous men, Its a farming game, Jerks, Literally farming, Multi, Multiple Attractions, Multiple candidates, Nightmare Moon lookin Programmer, Oblivious Villagers, Personality-Insert, Romance, Sandy beeeeches, Semi-Self Insert, Some Non Canon Encounters For More Realism, beach, farming, mild depictions of violence, mining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-01
Updated: 2016-08-28
Packaged: 2018-07-19 09:44:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7356007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PastelPhoenix/pseuds/PastelPhoenix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Growing up second place was never easy on her thoughts. Overtime in a workstation that couldn't care less about the conditions of their workers. Burdened by her growing desire to become something more, she packs her bags and sets out to a place her grandfather adored; Stardew Valley. Being left the deed to an old farm in Pelican Town- would she live the life she always wanted? Or will she be introduced to a new type of conflict?  -Rewriting this story-</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fired

_Beep, beep, beep._

The cameras flashed in bright red, signaling to each and every worker that their movements were being recorded. The excessive tapping on each keyboard within the workstations in the cramped, dirty cubicles were marked in a big, proud label announcing the name of their company; Joja. 

Joja, the major company who had branched from seaside to seaside had seemed to require endless amounts of data checking, pay cuts and overtime in order to keep their business running, exhausting the workers that couldn't bear to lose their jobs. It had been difficult trying to find a career or job to make ends meet, almost every company turning down future employees as there were just too little openings available.  
However Joja had been the only place to hire workers of all backgrounds, a salvation one would believe. Though, that soon proved to be a terrible mistake. There suddenly began to be a lack of typing, barely noticable however the cameras picked up on it. 

A worker slacking off in the only place that would accept them. 

"Cubicle 874," it announced, "work or you will be terminated." The promise had been made. The atmosphere hadn't changed, the workers were used to this threat being made, however none had wished it upon themselves to receive it. The cubicle hadn't joined back within the rythm of the tapping, only shuffling had ensued. 

The drawer opened, the inhabitor of the cubicle peering long and hard at a small white envelope within the drawer, a purple wax sealing the opening. Suddenly, the hand of the defiant worker had reached in and grabbed the letter delicately, as though not to destroy the contents.

"Cubicle 874, you must work or you will be punished." The letter was torn open, the young worker defying the warnings they were given. 

_'I'm tired of this place. I'm sick of this. I never wanted this to be my future.'_ She thought with fervor, searching the letter for an answer to her needs with intensity. 

_Dear Karissa,_  
_If you're reading this, you must be in dire need of a change._  
_The same thing happened to me, long ago. I'd lost sight of what mattered most in life... real connections with other people and nature. So I dropped everything and moved to the place I truly belong._

_'This is it'_ , she thought, her hands quivering in apprehensiveness as to weather it would save her from her dreaded life. 

"Cubicle 874," it repeated, "this is your last warning." 

_I've enclosed the deed to that place... my pride and joy: Calla Lily Farm. It's located in Stardew Valley, on the southern coast. It's the perfect place to start your new life.  
This was my most precious gift of all, and now it's yours. I know you'll honor the family name, my dear. Good luck._

_Love, Grandpa._

_P.S. If Lewis is still alive say hi to the old guy for me, will ya?_

"Cubicle 874 is now TERMINATED."

She had never felt more content in her life. Two men dressed in the companies uniform were sent to escort her out of the building, to which she obliged, holding the letter close to her as though it was her only life line, and in a way it was. Hearing the loud beep signaling her termination, she could feel a slight hint of something odd, a seed of regret implanting itself into the back of her mind. 

_'Is this a good idea? Should I beg for my job back? What if this deed isn't available and I'm just holding onto something that might not even be real?'_ Her internal struggles seemed to shine through in her deep, dark chocolate eyes, however it goes unnoticed by the men who were escorting her out of the building, as they were used to seeing this type of despair within the people they fire. 

Finally, approaching the big metal doors that functioned as the enterance of the company, one of the men ask her for her employee ID and membership card to finalize the ending of her dead end career, only to then leave her alone to her panicking thoughts.

_'It's over, there's no going back. I messed up, I shouldn't have kept reading or I wouldn't have lost my job.'_ Hesitantly, her pale white hand grasped the ice cold handle of the door. Swallowing her dread, she pulled the heavy door open, the contaminated air hitting her face from the carbon monoxide from the fuel burned from the trucks and factories just nextdoor. 

Still clutching the dear letter to her chest- she made her way through the double doors. Taking a few steps forward, she turned back to look at the factory, seeing the building she had left behind with its polished exterior. Feeling a wave of disgust at the thought of how pristine it was on the outside and how mistreated they were on the inside of the building, it finally showed to her that all the company focused on was outside appearance. 

The inside of what was going on didn't matter to them at all. 

Within that moment, she began to feel like all she was speed up her impending doom in the workplace, as they would have replaced her in the long run anyway.

Turning away from the factory, she took a deep breath and straightened her posture for the new life ahead of her. 

Whether this farm existed or not, she was going to make something for herself. 

In that moment, she smiled.


	2. Journey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Growing up second place was never easy on her thoughts. Overtime in a workstation that couldn't care less about the conditions of their workers. Burdened by her growing desire to become something more, she packs her bags and sets out to a place her grandfather adored; Stardew Valley. Being left the deed to an old farm in Pelican Town- would she live the life she always wanted? Or will she be introduced to a new type of conflict?

The bus ride home was one filled with a new kind of worry.

What her parents would think. 

She had always been afraid of disappointing her parents, her mother mostly. Her mother was more judging per say, comparing her to her sibling who had gotten a high paying job as a lawyer while she kept a consistent lower-than-minimum wage job at Joja, to which now she is unemployed at 22 with only a bachelors degree in engineering. 

_'I never even wanted to be an engineer.'_ She thought solemnly, gazing towards the floor of the bus. Sighing, she took out her phone and texted her father. Her father, as opposed to her mother, was open-minded about his daughter. He acknowledged that his children were two different people with two different aspirations, even though his daughter didn't yet know what she wanted to do in life. 

_"Hey dad, I'm going to come home early today."_ She paused before she pressed send, scared about how it would be interpreted. Taking a deep breath, she deleted her message and put her phone away, deciding it would be better to tell them in person. 

_'It would be better to see their disappointment in me than worry about if they pack up my things before I get home.'_ A glimmer hits the corner of her eye, and looking towards it she sees that it came from a Joja advertising sign. Another wave of nerves hit her right in the gut, as she questions if this was a sign for her to ask for her job back, only to push the thought away. 

_'I came so far, I'm almost home. I have this letter, I will prove to be better than what I've made myself.'_ She promised to herself, her life will be better from here on out. She will be ready for the disappointment, she is okay with that. She will look into the deed and if she fails, she is okay with that. If it works out and it is real, then she will be ecstatic, however even if it wasn't, she would be still okay. 

The bus stops suddenly, signalling that she is at her destination. Another knot wells up in her stomach, making her feel as though she is going to throw up from the sheer nervousness she is faced with. Standing up, she silently thanks her past self for convincing her to not bring personal belongings into the work-space, otherwise she would have to go back there to retrieve it another day. 

Walking towards the bus entrance, she takes in another deep breath to prepare herself for her journey home, silently walking off of the steps and heading on her way to the house she shared with her parents. 

She couldn't calm her nerves, the closer she walked the more stressed she became, seeing their house come up in her view she wanted nothing more than to run away, to flee. But she knew this would get out eventually to them, so it would be better to get it over with while the wound is still fresh than to get a scab just to stab it again later. 

She felt herself slowing her pace as she got to her front door, to stop nearly a foot away. She suddenly felt like a stranger, unwanted before she even began. Feeling the same as she did at Joja, she reached hesitantly towards the door nob, grasping it harshly as though it would help relieve some nervousness into it. Realizing she had been holding her breath during the time she had gotten to the door, she lets it out slowly, twisting the nob of the door softly as though to not disturb anyone there. 

Not hearing any noise home, she peered her head through the door- the television that her father watched during the day was off and there was no sound of movement to be heard. Suddenly a fear that Joja had called before hand had set in, making her wonder if they had made the announcement after she had departed. 

Taking in a shallow breath, she pushed in the door and walked into the home that suddenly felt like a strangers, making her question if she walked into the wrong house for a moment. Her dark eyes frantically searched every square inch of where she was, only to realize that her parents must have been out for the day. It helped calm her nerves as she ran to her room and jumping onto her bed to retrieve her laptop. Searching for the most recent mayor of Stardew Valley, she recalled that her grandfather seemed to have been good friends with the previous mayor, so she believed he may be helpful in finding out if the property is real or not. 

Putting his number into her phone, she pressed dial and waited for him to pick up. 

One ring, two rings, three rings,

At this point she figured she may as well hang up, however right as she was about to hit 'end call' she heard a gruff, manly voice pick up. 

"Hello?" Her heart stopped, as she quickly placed the phone back to her ear,

"Yes, hello! Is this the Mayor of Stardew Valley?" Anxiety rushing through her veins, she wondered if this was a good idea and if it was too late to hang up. 

"Yes, this is Mayor Lewis! May I ask who is speaking?" Taking in another deep breath for what seemed to be the hundredth time today, she looked back at the letter her grandfather gave her and recalled that this is the man that her grandfather must have been friends with. 

"My name is Karissa, I'm calling because my grandfather had apparently left me a deed to Calla Lily Farm, and I was wondering if this is legitimate." Suddenly, she heard a hearty laugh echo through her phone, 

"You're the granddaughter I've heard about! It's nice to finally meet you after all these years, your grandfather was very proud of the place back then. The farm has been ready for you ever since he had passed. He was very convinced that you would follow in his footsteps!" She finally allowed herself to let out a small smile, a bit of her worries had washed away with that bit of news. 

"That's great! When can I come down to accept the deed?" Internally she prayed that it would be soon. 

"If you are available, you can show up any time to claim it." Joyously, she thanked him repeatedly- hanging up on him and sighing out a deep breath. Then, she began to laugh, she couldn't believe it. It was real! This was great news, and she gets to go as soon as possible! Looking at the bus times from her home to Stardew Valley, she located the exact bus that was to go there, and it was going to arrive in an hour!

She then realized something else, that Stardew Valley was a good few hours away by car, and as she traveled by bus it would take longer. Suddenly full of panic once again, she paid online for the ticket with what little money she had left from working at that dead end job and she ran to her closet and pulled out two suitcases, as she would need one for her clothes and the other for necessities. Searching within her closet, she found a few pairs of jeans, jean shorts and a pair of overalls- at one point causing her mother to question her fashion choices-, and a few pairs of shirts, leaving the ones that seemed too unconventional to be worn at what seemed to be a farming town. 

She had also come to the conclusion that she wouldn't be able to face her parents to tell them the news unless she wished to call them on their phones, abandoning her idea of confronting them in person. So she made a quick mental note to write a letter and leave it on the counter for them, as there simply was no time and she didn't wish to disturb their afternoon together- as well as be called a disappointment by her mother, but she figured a note would mean more than a text anyway. 

Grabbing her items she declared fit for duty, she rushed to the kitchen and ripped a sheet of paper from an old notebook left on the counter. 

_"Dear mom and dad,_  
_I lost my job at Joja today, and I opened grandpas letter. It says he left me a farm at Stardew Valley for when I'm ready to leave this town, and I think this is the perfect time to go. I don't want to be a burden on either of you anymore, and I think this will also help me find out what I truly want to be in life._  
_I love you both, and thank you for everything you've done._  
_Love, Karissa."_

After placing the note onto the center of the table, she grabbed her bags and headed out to the bus stop, waiting for the trip to Stardew Valley. After about half an hour of waiting the bus appeared, and she had to refrain herself from cheering in joy of how everything was going. 

Walking onto the bus, she sat down and admired the letter she had in front of her and fully assessed her situation. 

_'I'm going to Stardew Valley.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm quite pleased to see that I had some people reading this story, that's pretty amazing to me since I originally wrote it for myself only. I'm glad some of you like it!


	3. New Home

The ride out of her city was longer than expected, taking nearly two hours to leave the borders. Karissa looked down at her luggage and smiled, feeling as though she is finally doing something with herself and her life. Grabbing her phone from her pocket, she notices the time had passed slowly, the sun being out as it only hit five in the afternoon as opposed to when she was fired nearly four hours ago. 

_'This is a lot to process, I wonder if it's okay to call him again to let him know I'll be there tomorrow afternoon.'_ She thought, fumbling with the phone case as she stared deeply onto the last number she called. Deciding it may be best to let him know, she tapped his name and prepared for him to answer. 

One ring, two rings, three rings, 

On the fourth, he picked up. She began to wonder if this was a pattern or coincidence.

"Hello?" She smiled softly, recalling how nice he seemed to be when she mentioned who she was. It seemed that he may have grown a soft spot for her because of her grandfather. 

"Yes, hello again! This is Karissa, I wanted to let you know I'll be there tomorrow afternoon. I decided it would be best to let you know before I get there." Hearing his chuckle, she relaxed a bit more- feeling much better as opposed to how she felt when she was first laid off. 

"I had a feeling you would be, a woman named Robin will pick you up- she's in charge of the carpenters shop on the mountain near our town. We'll see you soon!" Smiling softly to herself, she thanked him again and wished him goodbye before putting her phone away. 

Looking out the window, she could finally see the exit of the city- warm and bright. Looking back,she watched as the city began to move farther away- the town lights and buildings shrinking with distance. 

Turning her view away, she faced the front of the bus, seeing a fuzzy yet noticeable view of a large mountain up ahead. Being from the city all her life, she found herself gazing in amazement as to what she was being exposed to. The beauty of the world outside of the factories was breathtaking, and she came to a hopeful conclusion as the sun went down. 

_'This will be my new beginning.'_

The next day came sooner than expected- as she was lost in thought and succumbed to a night of much needed rest. Upon waking up, she stretches her legs from their cramped position and yawns to shed the rest of her sleep away. Looking out the window, she notices an upcoming sign that states,

"Stardew Valley-> 0.5mi" A rush of excitement filled her body as she fumbled for her bags, making sure everything stayed put the night before. Looking back at her clothes, she notices shes still wearing her old Joja uniform, as she forgot to change her shirt after she received the news. 

"Oh..." she mumbled, quickly turning red at her own mistake. Unbuttoning her Joja over shirt, she revealed a simple black t-shirt, lined in red- complimenting her long, dark auburn hair. Quickly stuffing the old uniform shirt into one of her suitcases, she felt the bus come to a slow. 

"Stop at Stardew Valley." Came a rough, feminine voice. Karissas heart began to pound, excitement and nerves of the new place filling her with a rush of different emotions. The bus driver opened the door for the exit, and Karissa did her best not to seem too excited to get to her stop. Picking up her bags, she carefully walked towards the door as to make sure she didn't accidentally trip from her nerves. 

Making her way off the steps, she encountered a woman with medium length red hair, half pulled into a ponytail. She wore an orange shirt with a light tan vest-coat. 

"I'm Robin, the local carpenter," recalling the Mayor sent Robin to pick her up, she nodded, "Mayor Lewis sent me here to fetch you and show you the way to your new home. He's there right now, tidying things up for your arrival." 

Smiling, she nodded and gripped onto her bags a little lighter, as she only then noticed her death grip on the handles. 

"The farm's right over here, if you'll follow me." Robin sent a small smile and led Karissa to her new home. Karissa admired the beautiful array of trees and foliage within the bus stop, walking towards the entrance of her grandfathers farm to the right side of the stop. 

Upon entering, they were both greeted by overgrown lands, trees grown in random locations and fallen debris from trees, as well as hundreds of rocks laid upon the earth.

"This is Calla Lily farm." Robin stated, and Karissa quickly began to wonder if she made a mistake accepting this. 

"What's the matter?" Robin said, a slight smirk playing upon her lips, "Sure, it's a bit over grown, but there's some good soil underneath that mess!" Feeling a tiny bit reassured, let alone exhausted just looking at it, Karissa nodded.

"With a little dedication you'll have it cleaned up in no time." 

_'Yeah, easy for you to say.'_ Karissa wanted to chime out, however decided against it as she didn't want to build a nasty relationship with this woman because of her pessimism. Taking a few steps forward, they come to the front of the house that belonged to her grandfather. 

"...And here we are, your new home." Robin chortled, laughing as Mayor Lewis stepped out of the door.

"Ah, the new farmer!" Mayor Lewis cried, smiling at her as he walked down the steps. He looked like a kind old man wearing a green shirt, yellow tie and suspenders. His brown cap claimed his hair proudly as his grey hair protruded from the sides and underneath. His mustache was turned upwards in happiness towards her arrival.

"Welcome! I'm Lewis, Mayor of Pelican Town," he began, "You know, everyone's been asking about you." Karissa suddenly realized that although this is a new town, word spreads quickly- especially about a new comer. Blushing a bit from the attention, she smiles at Lewis's words.

"It's not every day that someone new moves in. It's quite a big deal!" Upon this information, she concluded that everyone seemed to know each other in this town- helping ease her nerves at the idea of a friendly place compared to her old city home. Suddenly, Lewis turned and began to look longingly towards the home. 

"So... You're moving into your grandfather's old cottage," a sad smile played on his lips as he gazed at the image of the old home, "It's a good house... very 'rustic'."  
Rustic? That's one way to put it..." Robin piped, "'Crusty' might be a little more apt, though." She finished, chuckling at her own joke about the old cottage.

"Rude!" Mayor Lewis cried scornfully, reprimanding Robin for her comment. Karissa's courage to make the farm look nice began to shrink at her words.

"Don't listen to her, Karissa. She's just trying to make you dissatisfied so that you buy one of her house upgrades." Mayor Lewis spat, glaring at Robin for her behavior. Surprised, Robin reeled back and pouted at Mayor Lewis for calling her out.

"Hmmph..." 

_'Do they always fight like this? They seem to like each other well enough, seeing as Mayor Lewis sent her to get me than someone else.'_ Karissa noted, wondering what her relationship with the townspeople would be later on. She never really had many friends growing up, and in college she just preferred to focus on her studies. Would she even talk to them more than just a passing 'hello' was a more realistic question.

"Anyway..." Mayor Lewis began, "You must be tired from the long journey. You should get some rest." Suddenly, Karissa finally began to feel the effects of her mixed emotions on her body, weighing her body down slightly as his words touched her ears.

"Tomorrow you ought to explore the town a bit and introduce yourself." Smiling, he stared at Karissa's slightly sunken state, "The townspeople would appreciate that." Finishing his statement, he began to walk away only to stop by the mailbox.

"Oh, I almost forgot. If you have anything to sell, just place it in this box here. I'll come by during the night to collect it," Karissa began to feel a bit of hope within her body at his words, "Well... good luck!" And with that, he walked off towards town, with Robin following suit. Watching their bodies move farther away and out of sight, Karissa felt another wave of tiredness as she walked into the old cottage. Her grandfathers old home consisted of an old television, a table, a fireplace and a bed and one bathroom. The decor wasn't much, but she could live with it for now. Walking towards the bed, she laid down- feeling the rush of sleep wash over her body from her excessive work hours, panic and depression from her past life. 

She has a new opportunity for life, and she doesn't want to waste it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we have it! I hope you guys liked the chapter, and I'll seeyas next time!


	4. New Friends -Or not-

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Growing up second place was never easy on her thoughts. Overtime in a workstation that couldn't care less about the conditions of their workers. Burdened by her growing desire to become something more, she packs her bags and sets out to a place her grandfather adored; Stardew Valley. Being left the deed to an old farm in Pelican Town- would she live the life she always wanted? Or will she be introduced to a new type of conflict?

The sun shined through the small, open window, waking Karissa from her slumber. Upon recalling the past days events she looked to her left to be greeted with hand-me-down farm tools that her grandfather must have left behind that she didn't notice when she first entered- being an axe, a hoe, a pick-axe and a scythe, alongside a small tin watering can. Smiling to herself lightly, she crawled out of bed and pulled her phone from her bag she had thrown to the side the night before and saw the time to be 4am. 

_'Did I sleep for an entire day? I could get used to this.'_ She smiled to herself, turning her phone back off and putting it into one of the scattered suitcases. Looking up, she noticed a box with a purple string tying it together. 

_'What's this?'_ she questioned, walking towards the foreign box to investigate. Opening it, she discovered a small packet of seeds. 

_'Parsnips?'_ she wondered reading the label. Looking farther into the box, she discovered a letter inside. 

"If you want to become a farmer, you have to start with the basics. Use your hoe to till the soil, then use a seed packet on the tilled soil to sow a crop. Water every day until the crop is ready for harvest." Karissa read aloud, smiling a little to herself. It seems that whoever left this note for her, more than likely Mayor Lewis, was giving her the basics to start the farm. 

_'Thankfully this stuff is free, too.'_ She smiled wider, placing the letter onto the table. Turning, she walked into the bathroom to discover a small, simple shower and decided that she should at least seem fresh in order to introduce herself to everyone. Turning the water on, she walked back to grab her items from her suitcase and returned to the bath. Stripping her clothes, she entered the shower only to reel back from the cold water. 

_'Oh fuckin' shit!'_ She internally cried out, nearly slipping in the slick water from surprise. Thinking it would be best to try and see if she could wait it out for the water to get warmer, she exited the shower quickly and fumbled with the handles of the bath. After a good few minutes, nothing seemed to have changed except for the water pressure. 

"I wonder how much Robins upgrades cost..." she mumbled, not used to the cold temperature that she had just forced her poor skin to endure. Bracing herself, she jumped into the shower and tended to herself as fast as she could. 

_'Cold cold coldcoldcold!'_ Trying to push away the harsh conditions affects on her body, she reached for her razor. Hurrying as fast as she could without cutting herself, nicking her ankle in the meanwhile, she turned the water off to experience the quick relief of warmth from the air around her. 

_'Much better.'_ She sighed, walking out of the bathroom to dry off her body and hair. Taking care of her after-shower hygiene, she put on a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt, she grabbed the tools and parsnip seeds and turned the television on to the news channel. 

"Welcome to KOZU 5... your number one source for weather, news, and entertainment. And now, the weather forecast for tomorrow... It's going to be a beautiful, sunny day tomorrow!"

_'That's good,'_ she thought, _'at least it hasn't stormed yet-otherwise I wouldn't be able to get anything done.'_ Another station turned on, called "Livin' Off The Land". Deciding that it may be helpful in the long run, she left the television running. 

"Welcome to "Livin' Off The Land". We're back again with another tip for y'all. Now listen up: This one's for all you green horns out there: chop wood and search for wild forage to earn some cash while waiting on your first harvest!" Smiling, she turned the television off. 

_'That's great, I won't have to get a part time job somewhere at least!'_ Walking out of her home, she admired the work that she would need to work in order to make the farm looking nice. 

_'Well, better now than later.'_ Walking towards the front yard, she began to clear out the stones and foliage that had accumulated throughout the years it had been unoccupied, quickly causing her to become exhausted. 

_'I'll need to get used to this.'_ She huffed, taking a minute to admire her work. The stones and leaves had been cleared somewhat from the front, allowing more walking space. However, there was a large tree and some branches that were left behind that began to get on her nerves. Picking up her axe, she pushed away some of her exhaustion and began to chop away at the tree. After about an hour of doing so, it had fallen. Collecting the droppings of lumber, she decides it would be a good idea to get rid of the stump as well, as it would 'disturb the peace' in a way. 

After successfully removing the stump, she decided it would have probably been better to wait until later on in the day to do it as she felt incredibly tired from the work. Moving the logs to the side of the house, along with the previous lumber, she looked at the newly cleared area. Deciding now would be a good time to plant the seeds, she began to till the ground, planting and watering the parsnip seeds that she had been given.

_'I hope I'm doing this right...'_ Looking at her work, she felt a surge of pride at what she had accomplished. Going back in the house, she grabbed her phone as a means to see the time. 

_'8:40am? It's not even the afternoon yet?!'_ she internally cried, feeling her exhaustion beat at her. Putting her phone in her pocket, she decided it would be best to say hello to at least some of the towns people. Leaving her farm, she arrived back to the bus stop, noticing a few flowers and vegetation growing outside. Walking towards them, she decided to pick the flowers and vegetables.

_'No one would miss these, otherwise they would be gone by now~'_ She chirped, picking a few leeks and daffodils from the ground. Putting them away, she makes her way into town to see a small, pretty town filled with small family owned shops and homes. Breathing in deep, she walks further into town to discover a woman with long brown hair pulled in the front, wearing a dark green dress and a red shirt. Smiling to herself, she hurried up to catch the woman. 

"Hello," Karissa introduced herself while smiling, holding out a hand, "My name is Karissa. I just moved in." The woman smiled back at her sweetly. 

"Ah, Mayor Lewis told me you just arrived. I'm Marine!" Grabbing Karissas hand, she shook it firmly. 

"I sell livestock and animal care products at my ranch. You should swing by some time." Nodding her head, Karissa smiled a bit more at the friendliness Marine had shown- something she wasn't really used to in the city. 

"I'll make sure of it. Have a nice day!" Waving to Marine, she looked towards the shop called Pierre's, noticing a calendar outside. Walking closer, she discovered it had the seasons events and birthdays of every towns-person within the valley. 

_'This is cute! I wonder if I'll ever be added to it...'_ She wondered, walking into the store. Upon entering, she noticed Marine had already walked in to buy some supplies. Noticing a man with tan skin and brown hair, she hesitantly, yet non-the-les walked up to him. His under-shirt was blue and he wore a tan jacket adorned in blue and green splotches over-top of it. 

"Hello," Karissa said, introducing herself to the man, "My name is Karissa. I just moved here." He turned, his chevron mustache curling up into a smile. 

"I'm Gus. I'm getting some supplies for the saloon. Pierre's got the good stuff." he cheerily explained, holding his hand out for a greeting. She took it within her own and noticed he said 'the pub'.

_'I'll have to check it out later.'_ Hearing this going on, the shop owner spots the new face. 

"Hey, it's Ms. Karissa, the new farmer! I'm Pierre, owner of the local general store." Waving, he continues. 

"If you're looking for seeds, my shop is the place to go. I'll also buy produce from you for a good price! A little agriculture could really inject new life into the local economy!" He exclaimed, causing Karissa to feel a laugh bubble in her chest, a bright smile forming on her face. 

"I'll let you know if I have anything grown then!" He keeps smiling, and lets her know that they use his home for certain activities and worship of a deity named Yoba. Deciding to check it out, she walked through the door- leading her into the living room. Walking into the room they worshiped this 'Yoba', she noticed a few pillars surrounding a solid gold shrine. Satisfied with seeing the room herself, she made her way out. However, looking to her right, Karissa noticed two women through an open passage, more than likely the kitchen, one younger looking than the other. 

_'They must be Pierre's family.'_ she concluded, walking up to them. Seeing the woman with green hair, she waves hello. 

"Hello! You must be Karissa, the new farmer. I'm Caroline." She smiles, waving back. "My husband runs the general store here. And have you met my daughter Abigail? She's the pale one with the purple hair." Watching said girl behind her mother blush in embarrassment, she piped up into the conversation. 

"Oh, that's right... I heard someone new was moving onto that old farm." Abigail looked off to the side, smiling. "It's kind of a shame, really. I always enjoyed exploring those overgrown fields by myself." Shaking her head at her daughters comment, she continued cleaning the table from that mornings breakfast. 

"Oh please, dear. Anyway, come back anytime you like Karissa. See you soon." Waving farewell to the mother and daughter, she made her way out of the shop. 

_'These people are very nice here, I wonder what type of virus they have that makes them so happy.'_ She joked to herself. Walking down from the shop, she noticed a woman with short red hair sitting underneath an oak tree. Deciding to say hello, she made her way to the girl. 

"Hello there, I'm Karissa. I just moved in." Karissa smiled gently, having a feeling that the girl she was trying to talk to wasn't that much of a people person as the others she had met. 

"Hi..." after a few seconds, she responded again. "Oh, did you want something?" Shaking her head at the girls question, she smiled lightly once more and walked away. Suddenly, there was a man with spiked blonde hair and torn jean jacket making his way over to her, smiling all the while.

"Hey, I'm Sam. Good to meet you." Nodding towards Sam, she introduced herself. Waving goodbye towards him, she walked a bit farther and saw a woman with long red hair pulled in a braid, the color not unlike the girl sitting underneath the tree. 

"Hey, I'm Karissa. What's your name?" She states again, feeling as though she needed to switch her introduction up a bit, the first sticking with her so much she may start saying it in her sleep from how much she said it. 

"Hello, it's nice to meet you- I'm Leah," She begins, "You picked a good time to move here... The spring is lovely." Nodding in agreement at her statement, she bid farewell to the girl- now identified as Leah-, and made her way to the other side of town. Then, she noticed a guy around her age tossing a football next to an old, blue house. Walking up to him, she introduced herself with that reliable line.

"Hey, you're the new girl, huh? I think we're going to get along great," He smirks, winking towards her, "I'm Alex." Smirking back at him, he reminded her of the people she used to go to school with back in the city. 

"Nice to meet you, Alex," She begins, turning to walk away, "Seeyas later." He throws his football once more into the air. 

"I'll see you around." She smiled at his attitude. Then, farther down she noticed a blonde, curly haired woman wearing a pink sweatshirt with matching eye-shadow. 

"Hey, kid. The name's Pam." She introduced, finishing her statement off with "Don't be a jerk and we'll get along just fine." 

_'Now this seems familiar.'_ Karissa thought to herself, smiling back at Pam. 

"It's nice to meet you. Seeyas around." Turning to leave, she began to count off the people she has met that day. 

_'I met Pam, Alex, Leah, Pierre and his family, as well as the girl under the tree. I met Sam, too- as well as the mayor and Robin. Maybe I should swing by her place and say hey.'_ Karissa decided, making her way to the old park up ahead that lead to the  
mountain. She noted from the website that the bridge to the bottom of town lead to the beach, and that she was excited about seeing it as since she had been from the city and too enveloped in trying to complete school- she hadn't gone to many places, the beach being one of them. 

_'I'll make sure I'll go down there if not today, then maybe sometime tomorrow.'_ She promised to herself, smiling at her newfound freedom. Heading towards the park, she noticed a beautiful water fountain, a childrens' playground and a few picnic tables. 

_'This is cute...'_ she thought, however the closer to got to the mountain she noticed an old, run down building covered in over-grown vines.

_'What is this place? Why is it so... unkempt? Especially for a cute place like this.'_ She questioned, however she disregarded it as she was used to buildings looking like that back in the city, just with less plantation. Finally, she had made it to the carpenters shop where Robin worked. The mountain was beautiful, and she noticed a yellow tent at the top most part of this side on the mountain. 

_'Hmm, after I say hello I should see what that is about.'_ She decided, entering the building. 

"Hey, have a nice walk?" Robin chimed, smiling at her new arrival. Leaning up against the counter, Karissa replied with a loud groan. 

"As if, I'm not used to this type of exercise. Not to mention I'm tasked with the ever so amazing quest of meeting everyone in town." She said, smiling lightly back at Robin. 

"Have you met everyone in town yet? That sounds exhausting." Robin replied, cleaning the table off of dust that may have made its way onto it. Then, a dark girl with shoulder length reddish-brown hair and red glasses made her way into the room. 

"Oh! Aren't you the one who just moved in?" Karissa smiled at the question, knowing she was able to leave that part out of her introduction. 

"Yeah, my names Karissa. And you?" Maru smiled wide, her eyes closing in happiness. 

"I'm Maru. I've been looking forward to meeting you." Maru's happiness seemed to be contagious, as Karissa began to smile a bit larger at Maru's enthusiasm. 

"You know, with a small town like this, a new face can really alter the community dynamic. It's exciting!" Maru exclaimed, sounding quite a bit geeky to Karissa right off the bat. She nodded in agreement to Marus claim, hearing another, deeper voice come from the room behind Maru. A dark skinned man wearing a blue polo shirt entered the room. 

"Greetings! I'm Demetrius, local scientist and father. Thanks for introducing yourself!" Karissa then realized where Maru got her personality from. 

"I'm studying the local plants and animals from my home laboratory." Karissa raised her eyebrows, impressed with Demetrius's statement. "Have you met my daughter Maru? She's interested to meet you." Maru's face turns slightly pink at the exclamation, a little embarrassed at her fathers words. 

"Yes, I have. And she's very nice." Karissa states, smiling at him. Hearing a cough, she turns towards Robin who got her attention. 

"Maru is my daughter, and my son Sebastian is in his room. He doesn't like visitors in his room, so you'll have to wait for him to come out of that dungeon for a few hours." She joked, chuckling all the while. Karissa raised her eyebrow in quizzically, however decided to leave it. 

"I'll make sure to say hello to him in a few hours then. It's nice to meet you all, I really must get going- I still haven't finished the mayors 'task'." Biding farewell to the three, Karissa walked out of the home and walked closer to the river outside of the house, seeing a grey haired man wearing what appeared to be clothing made of dried leaves. Walking up to him carefully, she noticed that he seemed quite... lonely. 

"Hello." Karissa said, waving to the man. Startled, he looked a bit confused at her presence.

"A stranger? ... Hello." He said, Karissa smiled softly at him.

"Don't mind me," he started, "I just live out here alone." Watching him walk off, Karissa felt a tug at her heart at his statement. She didn't feel right leaving him for some reason, even though she was used to many people living in his conditions back in the city, however she decided against calling back for him. Walking away, she walked down the stream and noticed a large, blue, pristine building. 

_'Joja...'_ She thought, slight nervousness running course through her veins at the sight of her old work place logo. Deciding to 'man up', she marched her way into the building. There, she noticed Pam looking for something in one of the isles, one cashier and a man with black hair and glasses, wearing a suit and red bow tie at the membership stand. 

"Welcome to JojaMart! How are you doing today?" She's heard that same line all the time before, now it just makes her skin crawl with disgust. 

"I don't believe we've met. I'm Morris, Joja Customer Satisfaction Representative." He began, and she already feel a wave of uneasiness over-coming her. He must've been one of the people who 'worked' for his position, she thought. 

"When you decide you want to become a Joja Member, I'll be delighted to help you make your transition a joyous experience." He explained, a slightly manic smile spread on his face. Declining gently, she noticed Sam and another man working in the back of the store. Deciding not to try and get anyone in trouble, she walked out without a second glance. She then noticed another place down south of the Joja Mart, a blacksmiths. Making her way into the store, she walked up the the desk and greeted him like all the others.

"Er...," He started, obviously uncomfortable around someone he never met before, "I'm Clint." Noticing the tools on her back, he straightened himself. 

"I'm the town blacksmith," He began, a little more confident than before," If you ever need to upgrade your tools, I'm your guy." Smiling back at him, she nodded. 

"I'll let you know when the time comes. Have a good day!" Karissa bid, exiting the blacksmiths. 

_'Wow, I'm half way done and it's already 3pm. Maybe I will have to wait for tomorrow to introduce myself to everyone else...'_ Just then, she noticed an elderly woman in the middle of town, walking by an empty dog pen. Deciding she should introduce herself to the woman, she made her way to the center of town. 

"Hello, I'm Karissa. I just moved in. How are you?" She introduced, the elderly woman smiled gently. 

"Why, hello and welcome to our little community, dear!" she began, making Karissa blush a bit at her open welcome, "You can call me 'Granny' if you like." Karissa smiled, bidding her goodbye to the woman.

_'Maybe I should go to the pub, I mean, I'm new so I must get acquainted with the owners~.'_ She sings internally, making up an excuse to see what 'options' they had. Walking into the bar, a girl with blue hair wearing a bright red dress with long sleeves smiled brightly at her. 

"Ooh!... I can read it on your face. You're going to love it here in Pelican Town." She started, her smile almost as contagious as Marus', "I'm Emily. If you're ever looking for something to do in the evening, stop by the saloon. That's where I work!" She exclaimed, motioning to herself and the bar. Giggling at her excitement, the door flew open. 

"Gus! Gimme the usual." Pam exclaimed, entering the pub. Gus then began to tend to the brute woman's orders while Emily laughed. 

"You should stay a here a bit, maybe you'll meet somebody that you fancy~." She chirped, making Karissa laugh a bit harder at her antics. 

"Maybe, but I doubt it. Good try, though." She teased, sitting on one of the bar-stools close to Emily. Then, the man she saw working at the JojaMart came walking in. Deciding it would be a good idea, she tried to strike up a conversation. 

"He-" She began, only to be cut off. 

"I don't know you. Why are you talking to me?" He huffed, his shaggy short hair flopped to one side of his head. Making his way across from the bar, he left to go drink alone. 

"What an asshole." Karissa muttered, loud enough for Emily to hear. 

"That's Shane. He's always like that. Don't let him get you down." She smiled brightly, giving her a pat on the shoulder. Sitting at the bar, she quietly counted off who she has to talk to left. 

_'There's about 28 people here that I've heard about, if the population online is right. I have like nine other people I need to meet before I'm done.'_ She sighs, rolling her eyes and resting her head on her hand. Looking at the time, she realized it already hit 7pm, meaning that she was out for almost an entire day. 

"I'll seeyas later, Emily. It was nice meeting you but I have to head home." Emily whined a bit, a new face having to go back to her house so soon. 

"You're welcome here or at my house any time! See you later!" Smiling at Emily's cheery nature, she makes her way out of the pub and back to her home. After making a long trudge back to her home, Karissa threw some weeds from her clearing into the box besides her house and entered the cottage, feeling the exhaustion finally catch up to her as she flopped onto her bed- the comforting material rubbing against her skin. 

_'Where is everyone else I need to meet, damn.'_ And with that, she felt sleep overcome her to prepare her for the next day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't able to update yesterday, so I decided to add a bit of a longer chapter to make up for it! My updating schedule will be a bit off, but I will do my best to update at the very least every other day. I hope you guys all liked this and thank you for the hits and kudos so far! This is much more than what I could've ever expected. :33
> 
> I'll see you guys later!


	5. Beautiful Yet Ugly Encounters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Growing up second place was never easy on her thoughts. Overtime in a workstation that couldn't care less about the conditions of their workers. Burdened by her growing desire to become something more, she packs her bags and sets out to a place her grandfather adored; Stardew Valley. Being left the deed to an old farm in Pelican Town- would she live the life she always wanted? Or will she be introduced to a new type of conflict?

The next day Karissa woke up to the sounds of someones roosters crowing, the sound foreign to her ears. Getting up from her bed, she stretched her body, hearing a satisfying crack as her bones readjusted from sleeping on the old, crickety bed. Entering the cramped bathroom, she tried to overcome the terrible urge to go back to bed and not take a shower, only succeeding after she realized her back was covered in sweat from the not-so-insulated bed. Reaching towards the handles to turn the shower on, she hesitated slightly. 

_'This demonic shower is going to hurt me again, I know it.'_ Turning on the shower, she rushed her business and ran out, getting dressed quickly to try and warm her body from the terrible abuse she had been putting it through with the consistent cold showers. Grabbing her phone out of her suitcase, she turned it on. In bright, white lettering, the phone brightly displayed the time; 6am. Rolling her eyes at how early it was, she pocketed the phone and lifted her arms above her head, hearing her bones make appealing popping noises once more as she stretched. 

"Well, I have to water my plants..." Walking towards her television, she decided to check the news, the bright station blaring with the weather for the next day- it was going to rain. 

_'At least it's not a thunderstorm...'_ she decided, grabbing her tools and making her way to her door. Going outside, she noticed someone had delivered something into her mailbox, addressed by a man named "Willy".

_Hello there,_  
_Just got back from a fishing trip. You should come down to the beach some time._  
_I've got something for ya._  
_-Willy._

_'That's strange,'_ she thought, _'what could he have for me?'_ However, she pushed away that thought, realizing this was an excuse to visit the beach. Wiggling slightly in excitement, she slammed the mailbox shut and put the letter into her pocket for safe keeping. Turning around, she noticed her dehydrated crops and the overgrown wastelands she is to now call home. 

_'Oh yeah, my garden. I should try and clear my farm a bit before I go...'_ She decided, looking around at her mess. _'This is going to take a while.'_ Grabbing her scythe, she reeled it back and began to clear out the debris from her home. As she continued swinging through the over grown fields, she discovered a small, untouched pond decorated with shiny, green lily pads. 

_'I wonder what I could do with this.'_ Walking back to the house, she turned and admired her work, smiling to herself with self satisfaction. Turning back around, she made her way to the trunk and threw away the fiber and sap she had collected during her clearing. Checking her phone once again for the time, it was 9am. Deciding it would be a good time to get going, she left her home. Walking past the bus stop, she discovered a small dandelion outside and decided to pick it up and store it for later. Smiling again to herself once more, she decided to walk down to the south of town. On her way there, she noticed a new person- a small girl with dark, purple like hair pulled up into two buns on the sides of her head, wearing a lavender dress. Feeling it'd be best to introduce herself, she made her way over and said hello. 

"..." The girl stayed quiet, looking down. However before Karissa could turn the girl shuffled a bit.

"Hi..." Smiling back to her, Karissa waved goodbye and walked to the entrance of the beach. The beach was more than what she expected, the water a deep blue, the sand a rich white and adorned in seashells of all kinds and colors. 

"Woah..." She breathed out, noticing a man smoking a pipe, who she assumed to be Willy, at the edge of the pier up ahead. Making her way towards him, the thumping of her feet make her presense known to the man. 

"Ahoy there, miss." He smiled, holding his pipe. "Heard there was a newcomer in town... Good to finally meet ya." Smiling at his introduction, she raised a gentle eyebrow. 

"Why are you all the way on the edge of the pier?" She asked, and he responded with a lighthearted smile. 

"Ah... I'm still tryin' to unwind from a month out on the salty seas..." he drawled off, only to open his eyes wide to reveal bright blue.

"It was a big haul! I sold a lot of good fish." He smiled widely, causing Karissa to giggle a little at his enthusiasm, "Finally saved enough to buy me a new rod."

"That's good." She commented. He smiled back at her, only to walk closer as he pulled something out from behind him.

"Here, I want you to have my old fishing rod," He began, "It's important to me that the art o' fishing stays alive. And hey, maybe you'll buy somethin' from the shop once in a while." He smiled softly, handing her his old rod. Graciously, she took it from him and thanked him for the gift he had bestowed upon her. 

"There's good water here in the valley. All kinds o' fish." He explained. "Oh yeah. My shop's back open now, so come by if you need supplies." He gave her a soft smile, "I'll also buy anything you catch." Nodding at him in acknowledgement, he continues. "'If it smells, it sells'. Heh heh. That's what my ol' Pappy used to say, anyway." Laughing lightly with him, she stood besides him and stared at the water, admiring all the fish that swam underneath them. After a while, Willy waved goodbye and walked to the door of his shop. 

Looking back to the beach, she noticed a little shack and a boat near a fire pit. Deciding it possibly belonged to Willy, she figured it would serve no use to knock on the door. As she walked down to the beach, she noticed a few worms wiggling from the ground the opposite side of the beach. Deciding to check it out, she walked towards the prongs, grabbing her hoe to dig it up. Gently prodding at it, she moved the sand away and discovered something that looked like a plaque with a fossil embedded into it. 

_'This is strange... is there a lot of stuff like this here?'_ she questioned, putting it away into her bag. Suddenly, she heard a creak come from the opposite side of the beach. Turning around, she watched as a man with long, flowing reddish-blonde hair emerge from the cottage, wearing quite... eccentric clothing. Adorned in a long, dark red jacket and green pants, he brushed his suit carefully, looking around him. Noticing her presence, he began to walk towards her. Surprised by the attractive man walking towards her as well as the dreaded feeling as though she stole something from the beach, she felt as though her body flared up in shame and embarrassment.

"Ah, the new farmer we've all been expecting... and whose arrival has sparked many a conversation!" He continued. "I'm Elliott... I live in the little cabin by the beach. It's a pleasure to meet you." She felt as though her face was going to explode from the heat of her blush that she just knew was as red as his coat. 

"H-Hey, my names Karissa," _'smooth, Karissa. Smooth as broken glass.'_ , "I should really get going. Bye." 

_'Abscond the fuck out of this shit.'_ Screaming internally, she sped away from the unannounced male and nearly ran all the way to the bridge connecting the beach to the town.

_'Well, that was delightful.'_ Elliott thought, eyes crinkling in a smile as he watched her stumble from trying to balance her equipment while running. After making her way from the devilishly handsome man at the beach, Karissa looked back into her bag, recalling the possibly stolen item that she discovered. 

_'Maybe I should take this to the Mayor...'_ Exiting the bridge she sees the Mayor outside of his house, tending his flower garden. 

"Hey Mayor Lewis!" She called out, smiling as he noticed her. He brushed off his pants and smiled back. 

"Hello Karissa, how is your farm coming along? Have you met everyone yet?" Blushing a bit from remembering Elliott, she shook her head and pulled the item out of her bag. 

"Not exactly, but I found this at the beach. Do you know what it is?" The Mayor, stunned, smiled a bit wider as he took it from her hands. 

"This is one of the lost artifacts from the Library. They've all gone missing- you should donate this there. The librarian Gunther should know more about this." He finishes, handing it back to her. Nodding at the mayor, she places it back into her bag and waves her goodbye, setting off to the library. Crossing the bridge, she enters the doors, seeing the woman from yesterday who sat under the tree watching two children, the girl from yesterday and a new boy with strawberry blonde hair. Smiling, she walked up to the group. 

"Hello there. How are you all doing? I'm new here so I'm looking around." The boy waved wildly as the young girl looked down shyly. The woman from yesterday, looking more courageous than before, smiled at her. 

"I'm tutoring Vincent and Jas today... They're a handful, but it's nice to make a difference in someone's life." Looking at the children, Vincent's face drooped. 

"Ms. Penny says I have to read this book before I can go play." He pouted, as Penny giggled. Karissa smiled a bit as she remembered the reason why she came into the library in the first place. 

"I'm looking for a man named Gunther, do you know where he is?" Penny nodded, motioning to the next room of the library. 

"He walked in there not too long ago." Smiling and thanking Penny, Karissa walked into the next room, discovering a man wearing a blue sheriff style suit standing in the center of the library. 

"Abysmal..." he stated to himself, "Not a single piece in the entire collection." Karissa stepped forward hesitantly,

"Excuse me... I think I found an artifact by the beach..." She began holding the framed item towards Gunther. 

"What's this? You found something? Let me see it!" He exclaimed, accepting the artifact. 

"Remarkable!" He exclaimed "it's very old. I'd love to study this in greater detail... But it is yours." He stated, solemnly. Karissa, feeling less guilty about taking something that didn't belong to her, looked at him in confusion. 

"Hmmm..." Looking back up at her, he began. "I've got a favor to ask you. Would you consider donating any new artifacts or minerals that you find?" He stated, smiling a little larger as he continued. "We could make a ground breaking discovery together!" She smiled gently at his offer as he continued. 

"Oh, and who knows... If you keep donating I might come across some interesting items to send your way." He stopped suddenly, looking away. "Think about it, will you? If you decide to donate, just bring the objects to the front desk." Looking down, he shook his head expecting her to leave- however she pulled the artifact out and placed it onto the desk. Smiling, she exited the building. 

"Thank you." 

Walking back outside, she decides it would be a good idea to walk though park again. 

_'It's a very nice place, maybe I'll meet someone new'_ she thought, walking towards the fountain. _'And apparently I'm right.'_ There was a beautiful woman with golden flowing hair wearing a blue tank-top staring at the fountain by herself. Smiling at the woman, she made her way to introduce herself like all the times before. 

"Oh...," the girl began as she noticed Karissa's presence, and suddenly Karissa felt like a little judged, "You're that new farmer girl, or whatever." Yeah, she was being judged. "Aren't you?" Excusing her rudeness, Karissa nodded. 

"Yes, my name is Karissa. And you are?" The girl looked a little confused for a second. 

"Huh? Oh... I'm Haley." Karissa raised an eyebrow at her for her disinterest. 

"Hmm..." Haley began, "If it weren't for those horrendous clothes you might actually be pretty... Actually, nevermind." She laughed. Suddenly Karissa felt just the teeniest bit of hatred towards the girl. Scoffing slightly, Karissa left Haley alone at the fountain.

"What a fucking bitch." she grumbled to herself, angered that she had to even be in the same vicinity as the girl. Deciding to check up on Robin and her family afterwards, she made her way up to the mountain. Noticing Demetrius walking down the road, she decided to say hello. After greeting one another Demetrius let her know that their son was out of his room, or 'cave' as Robin called it, and that she should say hello. Hoping that he wasn't a bitch like Haley, she made her way to the inside of the house. Walking into the first room, another attractive man -whats up with all of these attractive people today?- around her age with spiky black hair, wearing a dark hoodie noticed her. _'Robin's kid, right?'_

"Oh. You just moved in, right?" He stated, and Karissa blushed a bit and smiled, nodding. "Cool." Watching as his disinterest grew, her smile faltered. 

"Out of all the places you could live, you chose Pelican Town?" Another blow to the gut. What's with her and meeting people that are dicks to her now? Is it because she met a guy who was cute- scratch that- extremely attractive at the beach, so now the other attractive people she meets are assholes? Did he absorb the niceness of the pretty part of town? 

If so, he's a dick too. 

Scowling at his comment, she turned around and walked away from him- leaving him a bit stunned. 

_'What did I say?'_ Sebastian thought, watching her storm out the door. Walking back to the center square, she thought back to the nice old woman she met. 

_'Granny... I wonder if she'll mind if I drop by.'_ Smiling a bit, she found Granny outside her home, about to enter it. 

"Hello again!" Karissa called out, joyous to see the woman. The old woman smiled at her,

"Hello dear, please come in! You haven't met my husband yet, have you?" shaking her head, the woman smiled again, letting her in the house. The house was small yet functional, and the television was going. 

"Hello George, we have a visitor!" George groaned, lowering the volume of the television. 

"Don't mind my husband, George. He isn't very friendly to strangers." She noted, sadly. However she invited her to meet her husband, so that should give her a bit of extra brownie points, right? "If you get to know him better he'll warm up to you. I'm sure you two could become good friends one day!" Smiling at the optimism in the woman's voice, Karissa smiled and introduced herself. 

"Hello, my name is Karissa. I moved into the old farm and I wanted to meet everyone in town."

"Hmmph... It's irritating to have to meet all these new people, huh? Name's George, by the way. Now buzz off... Hmmph" Walking back towards the old woman, Karissa sighed gently.

"I'm sure he'll like me later on." Karissa stated to the older woman. Granny's smile became wider and more full of life as she heard that. "Since you're so interested in my husband I'll let you in on a little secret: he really likes leeks! You can find them in the mountains this time of year." Smiling a little, Karissa recalled picking some leeks earlier from outside her home. 

"Actually, I have a few on me right now. Is it okay if I give him some?" Granny smiled even more. "Certainly! Go ahead, he'll be happy." Karissa pulled out one of the leeks she had gotten before and held it out to George. 

"I thought you'd like a hello gift, and it's not expensive but I thought it'd be appropriate considering where I moved." George looked over about to yell at her to leave and noticed the leek. Suddenly, he broke into a smile. 

"This is my favorite thing! Thank you." Smiling at him, she bid farewell to him and his wife, and made her way out of the home. 

_'Maybe I should drop by Pierres, maybe he's open to talk.'_ Walking into the store, she noticed Pierre keeping check on what he has for sale. Pierre, noticing the bell go off on his door, greeted her.

"Hello Karissa! I'm just looking over my products. It's a lot of work to run a shop." He said, smiling. Suddenly, the door in the back of the shop revealed Robin and another woman that Karissa had never met before. 

"Oh!" The mystery woman exclaimed, "You aren't exactly how I imagined... but that's okay! I'm Jodi." _'How in the hell did you imagine me?'_ Karissa thought, a little bit of frustration bubbling in her body.

"It's a quiet little town, so it's very exciting when someone new moves in! Having a farmer around could really change things." the woman, Jodi, smiled. Karissa decided to push away the mild anger and allowed herself to smile back. Robin then decided to pipe in. 

"Hey, if you need any materials or blueprints, my shop is the place you're looking for!" she stated before laughing, 

"Plus, your business supports the local economy." Rolling her eyes at Robin, Karissa noticed Marine coming from the back door as well. 

"Hey Karissa!" She called, waving at the girl. Marine walked up to her and smiled. 

"I believe you met my nephew last night." _'I did?'_ Karissa wondered, before Marine continued, "My nephew Shane," _'I remember him'_ , "has been staying at my place the last few months. He helps me out with the chickens, so I'm not complaining." She smiled, before shaking her head. 

"I heard he was a bit rude to you, so I wanted to let you know not to take it too seriously. He just doesn't know how to act around people he hasn't met before." Marine stated, smiling at Karissa. Smiling herself, Karissa waved goodbye to both Marine and Pierre before heading home. Tired from her 'meet and greet', she went home and realized she had to meet one last person. 

"Who the hell is he." she grumbled, before changing out of her clothing and into pajamas for the first time since she came here. Crawling into bed, she tried to ignore the nagging sensation of the fact she had one person left and she couldn't even squeeze them into this day. 

_'I'll deal with them tomorrow.'_ and with that, she fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really bad at updates. I had the chapter ready for a while, but I wasn't happy with it so I kept re-writing it. :PP
> 
> So, since it's proven that trying to make a specific update schedule is practically incomprehensible to my own creativity, I'll probably have to erase the 'every other day' thing that I stated on the last chapter, however I do promise this story is going to continue. Also, let me know if you prefer these notes being at the top of the chapter or at the bottom, I sincerely want to know how you guys feel! 
> 
> And also, thank you all so much for the kudos and hits, I appreciate all of you guys. :33


	6. Mine-d Your Language

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Growing up second place was never easy on her thoughts. Overtime in a workstation that couldn't care less about the conditions of their workers. Burdened by her growing desire to become something more, she packs her bags and sets out to a place her grandfather adored; Stardew Valley. Being left the deed to an old farm in Pelican Town- would she live the life she always wanted? Or will she be introduced to a new type of conflict?

The next day Karissa woke to the sound of rain barreling onto the top of her home.

Recalling yesterdays weather report, it was supposed to rain all throughout the day. She groaned, pulling her thin sheets over her head. _'At least I don't have to water my garden...'_ Smiling to herself sleepily, she snuggled deeper into the cheap pillow, feeling the warmth from her bed fill her with drowsiness, enticing her want to stay in bed- however she decided it would be for the best for if she showered first, otherwise she'd get out of the pattern of waking up early to take care of necessities.

 _'Ugh, this sucks...'_ she shivered, forcing her body to endure the coldness of her small home and grabbed her items, walking into the bathroom. Shaving her legs seems to have gotten harder in the arctic as her skins surface rumpled up from its natural, smooth  
texture into one similar to sandpaper. After the painful hose down from the old shower, she walked out of the bathroom and dried her hair, contemplating if she should get dressed. Seeing as she was alone and had no idea as to what she wanted to do yet,  
she decided to get ready after she watched the news. Sitting down on the wooden chair, she flipped the television on, the brightness illuminating the room.

"Welcome to KOZU 5... your number one source for weather, news and entertainment. And now, the weather forecast for tomorrow... It's going to be a beautiful, sunny day tomorrow!"

 _'That's pure bullshit,'_ she thought, _'It's pounding rain today- why would the weather change that fast overnight?'_ Kicking her feet onto the table. She then decided to flip the channel to a show listed as the 'Fortune Tellers'.

 _'This better be interesting.'_ She grumbled, watching as the crystal ball flew in front of the witch, dressed in a dark, silken blue robe which shown only one half of her face.

"Welcome back to 'Welwick's Oracle'... If you seek hidden knowledge of the future, well you've come to the right place." _'bullshit already'_ , "The spirits are mildly perturbed today. Luck will not be on your side."

"Who gives a fuck." Karissa groaned, standing up from her seat in the chair. Unfortunately, the towel had snagged onto a loose nail within the chair and tore off of her body- revealing herself to the world.

 _'Fuck... at least I'm alone.'_ suddenly, she heard a loud slam of the mailbox closing shut and footsteps pounding off into the distance, fading away.

 _'Never mind.'_ She thought annoyed, face flushing from embarrassment. _'Stupid ass spirits don't fuck with me.'_ Grumbling, she got dressed and searched her bags for an umbrella only to look in horror at her suitcase- she forgot to pack one.

 _'Fuck you all.'_ Taking this as a sign to just rush out, she ran to the front of her home and checked her mailbox. Upon opening it, she discovered it was an advertisement for Pierres.

 _ADVERTISEMENT:_  
_"I keep finding cool stuff, but my backpack is full!"_  
_Does this sound like you? Well, Pierre's got you covered!_  
_Stop by Pierre's General Store TODAY and check out our affordable size 24 backpack!_  
_See you soon!_

 _'Really? I just flashed someone for an advert? This sucks.'_ Huffing at the absurdity of it all, she hurried back into her home and checked the time on her phone.

6:40am.

 _'Pierres doesn't open until 9...'_ she recalled, plopping back down into the chair that caused her strife.

"I hate you, chair." she stated scornfully. Leaning into the conniving piece of furniture, she stared intently at the time on her phone, trying to will the day to go by quicker. Looking back to her television, she sighed and set her phone down on top of the table.  
Leaning forward towards the TV, she started to press the next channel button repeatedly, only receiving static as she continued. After what seemed like forever, the television finally got reception!

"Welcome to KOZU 5..." _'Damn it.'_ Turning off the television, she grabbed the phone off of the table next to her and unlocked it, discovering her notifications were set to silent for the past few days.

19 new messages.

_'Fuck.'_

Scrolling through the messages on her phone, she noticed that the majority of the texts belonged to her mother, as always calling her a failure and a disgrace for not telling her about how she was fired to their faces. Immense guilt washed over her body, her face red with shame as she continued reading the messages she was sent. After scrolling all the way to the bottom of the texts, it notified her that she had one message left- one from her father. Bracing herself, she tapped the chat message and began to read.

**_Karissa, getting fired like that wasn't a bright thing to let happen,_ **

_'Oh no'_ , "

**_However I think this may be good for you._ **

_'Wait what.'_

_**I've never always approved of everything you've done, but I know that you're capable of taking care of yourself. Your mother is just upset like always, and you shouldn't let her get to you. You'll figure everything out in time. Also, I'm going to send you letters in the mail so your mom won't spy on our conversations all the time.** _  
_**I love you, Dad.** _

After reading the message, she had come to the conclusion- she loved her dad very, very much.

 _'Thanks dad...'_ She smiled softly, beginning to tap away at her cellphone.

_**I love you too.** _

Looking back at the time on her phone, she reeled back in slight shock at how long it took for her to read through the messages, as it was already 8:30.

"Mom, what the fuck." She questioned, standing up and putting her phone back into her back and grabbed her supplies.  
Running out of the house, she hurried through the bus stop and spotted a small, blue building next to Pierres. Rushing in, she turned quickly around to look back out the door.

"Hello, are you here for an appointment?" Jumping, she turned around to notice that she had run into the doctors office in town. Blushing slightly in embarrassment for the second time that day, she realized that this may be the last person that she needed to meet. Clearing her throat, she smiled coyly at the doctor.

"Sorry for barging in like that, I just didn't want to stay in the rain longer than I had to. My name's Karissa, I just moved in." Smiling in understanding, he nodded.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Harvey, the local doctor." _'You're an idiot Karissa...'_ "I perform regular check-ups and medical procedures for all the residents of Pelican Town. It's a rewarding work." Karissa smiled at him, "I hope you'll find your own work equally rewarding, in time."

 _'Finally someone who isn't a dick.'_ she spat internally, recalling the past three people she met. She didn't want to include George, he was just cranky. Hearing the rain slightly subside, she smiled a bit wider.

"Thank you, Doctor. Anyway- I really gotta go, the rain lightened up a bit and I don't want to be pelted by hail or something. Goodbye!" She called out, rushing out into the rain once more. Rushing towards Pierres, she grabbed the handle and the door wouldn't budge. Looking up, she noticed the "OPEN" sign wasn't there, instead being set to "CLOSED." Confused, she looked at the opening times board on the side of Pierre's.

"Open 9:00am to 5:00pm. CLOSED WEDNESDAYS." Realization dawned on her as the rain pelted her clothing, soaking her. Feeling her anger get the best of her at how she was standing there, freezing to the bone outside of the general store like a an abused  
animal and how the advertisement stated "TODAY" as opposed to what it could have been, as you know, tomorrow which would have been more accurate. Face scrunching up, she gripped a few locks of hair in her hands in anger.

"DAMN YOU PIERRE!" She groaned loudly, storming away from the shop. Meanwhile, behind the counter of the general store, Pierre stared intently at the cash register, his hands quivering a little bit in cognizance as he fumbled with the shops earnings.

"Honey, what did you do to upset Karissa? She just moved in." His wife asked upon hearing the curse of their new neighbor, walking through the door to the entrance way. Looking at her husband, she noticed a bead of sweat fall from his brow.

"I may have accidentally seen something I shouldn't have, and I'm very sorry." Caroline, shocked, looked at her husband wide eyed.

"What did you do."

* * *

 

Walking away from the store, she sulked- wondering what her next course of action is.

 _'Maybe I shouldn't have cursed him, but it was pretty bullshit how he sent these letters out when the shop wouldn't even be open.'_ Karissa reasoned, trying to push away the guilt of yelling at someone who probably didn't even mean for it to be sent on the wrong day.

 _'Maybe I should go see Robin... I could really use someone to talk to.'_ Karissa thought, deciding to trudge her way up the mountain. Passing the ever-so-slow flooding of the park, she made her way to the front of Robins shop. Upon entering, she noticed Robin counting money from the cash register in the entrance of the store. Hearing the door open, Robin looked up and slightly smirked at Karissas disheveled and soaked form.

"You're soaking wet." She noted, staring at Karissas flattened down hair.

"I know. Luck isn't on my side apparently." Karissa huffed, recalling the fortune tellers prediction. Karissa sullenly walked up to the counter and rested her head on it, her darkened, wet hair sprawling out onto the counter. Smiling, Robin patted Karissas head  
gently.

"You had a good two days. You should have expected it." Groaning, Karissa pulled her head up to rest it on her hands.

"I don't think I should have expected my day starting with someone outside my door seeing me naked." Upon hearing this, Robin howled with laughter.

"Oh my gosh! How?" Hearing her laughter at her torment, Karissa blushed in mild indignation.

"I have no idea. My towel got snagged and I guess my window wasn't shut and the next thing I knew I heard someone shove a stupid advertisement into my mailbox and run away." Shaking her head at Karissas sob story, she reeled over the last thing she said.

"An advertisement? For what?" Karissa, still resting on the table rubbed at her temples from a small headache that started to come on.

"It was a dumb advertisement for a new backpack at Pierres today like it was a once in a life-time deal. Then after I trudged all the way to Pierres in the rain only to see that the store closes on Wednesday." Robins eyes widened in realization at Karissas words.  
Noticing her surprise, Karissa raised her eyebrow at her- motioning for the older woman to answer.

"I think I know who your peeping tom was." Feeling slight anxiety at how quickly Robin seemed to have put everything together, Karissa shut her eyes in embarrassment.

"Who was it." Robin, finding sadistic entertainment in the poor girls trouble began to laugh once more. After the younger girl groaned, Robin stifled her laughter into short bursts of giggles.

"Well, we don't have a specific mailman here in Pelican Town, so we usually deliver the mail we want to give to someone ourselves." Mulling over her words, Karissa slowly removed her hands from her face in revelation.

"Pierre. He did it on purpose." Feeling her face grow even warmer, she buried her face into her hands and groaned louder than before. Robin, finally taking slight pity on the girl rubbed her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, everybody has their days." Peeking from behind her fingers, she slowly drew her hands away once again to reveal her eyes.

"At least I don't feel bad for cursing him out anymore." Surprise flashed across Robins face, only for her to laugh again at this turn of events.

"You yelled at him?" Feeling shame rushing through her body, she looked down and covered her face with her arms.

"I had a bad day today and it's not even noon." Giving Karissa mock sympathy, she patted her head again as a half-hearted way of comfort. Hearing the commotion in the next room, Maru walked out from the Laboratory.

"Hey mom, hey Karissa! What are you doing here?" Hearing Marus cheery voice, Karissa lifted her head out of her arms.

"Just wanted to check up on your mom. How are you doing Maru?" Smiling at how the new farmer remembered her name, Maru proudly stood tall.

"I've been working in the lab with my dad, I'm helping him study the seasonal nitrogen levels." Amused at the short haired girls' enthusiasm, she lifted her hand towards her, giving her a thumbs up.

"That's pretty cool, have you discovered anything about it?" Brightening up at the question, Maru opened her mouth to explain her findings- however Robin cut her off.

"Maru, do you think you could find her a towel first? She's soaking wet." Realizing the girl in front of her was soaked, Maru looked away in mild shame at how she couldn't tell from seeing her off the bat. Karissa then removed herself from her position on the counter.

"Don't worry, I better get going anyway. It's 11:40, I'll see you guys later." Smiling, Karissa waved her goodbye to the two girls and made her way back into the rain- noticing the river to the side.

 _'Huh, that's funny,'_ she thought, _'Why is there a big hole in the wall?'_ Walking closer to inspect it, she crossed the bridge, entering the opening of what appeared to be a cave. Within the cave, there was a man standing in front of what appeared to be a ladder leading downwards. With scraggly white hair, the man adorned an eye patch covering his left eye, his right arm adorned in a red cape.

"Hmmm..." he began, staring deep into the hole. Looking up, he noticed Karissa entering the mine.

"...I was just peering down into this old mine shaft." He stated, looking back down the hole. "It's been abandoned for decades." Coming closer to the entrance of the shaft, Karissa looked down into the slightly illuminated room below.

"Still, there's probably good ore down there." He noted, looking back up to Karissas face.

"But a dark place, undisturbed for so long... I'm afraid ore isn't the only thing you'll find..." Scrunching her brows together, she pondered over what he could have meant by that, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"What do you mean?" She asked. _'I may go down there to check it out myself...'_ Looking back to her face, he notices the spark of intrigue in Karissas' eyes.

"Here," He said, "Take this. You might need it." Moving his red cape to the side, he revealed an old, rusty sword, pulling it out of its sheath. Handing it over to her, Karissa gripped it in her hands, questioning what actually lurked down there.

 _'What animals are down there?'_ She wondered, nerves suddenly kicking in. Looking back to the man, he nodded and covered his arm once more.

"Name's Marlon, by the way. I run the adventurer's guild right outside." He explained, looking at the hole and back to her.

"I'll keep my eye on you. Prove yourself and I might think about making you a member." And with that, he made his way out of the shaft, out of sight. Looking at the sword that laid in her hands, she took another look back into the tunnel.

"What just happened?"

Feeling apprehension in going down into the mines, she gripped onto the sword tighter and tried to fight back those feelings. Deciding to take a look down the shaft, she slowly began to climb down- entering the first floor. Looking around, she noticed many rocks laid along the ground, a few of them blocking what seemed to be something underneath.

"Huh, that's strange..." She said to herself, walking closer to it. Grabbing her pick axe from her pack, she brought it above her head and swung at the rock, nicking the boulder. Bringing it above her head again, she smashed the boulder into pieces, revealing another ladder. Raising her eyebrow, she crawled down onto the next floor. Upon turning around, she saw a large, green blob with eyes sloshing its way towards her.

"Oh fuck!" She screamed, holding onto the sword tightly as the blob bounced its way towards her. Closing her eyes, she reeled the sword back, bringing it down in front of her.

_Splat_

Opening her eyes, she sees a large slice laying upon the body of the strange creature. The eyes of the green blob turned red, preparing to charge at her.

 _'Oh shit.'_ Repeating her movements, this time with her eyes open, she slung the sword as hard and fast as she could, cutting the blob in half- leaving behind a slimy gel.

 _'What was that thing...'_ she drawls, looking at her sword. Shaking from her encounter, she made her way back up the two floors, collapsing from the experience she just endured.

"What have I gotten myself into..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Nice seeing you guys again. 
> 
> I've always wondered how they delivered their mail in Stardew Valley. 
> 
> Anyways, sorry for the lack of updates! I've been a bit busy lately, as I just celebrated my birthday not too long ago! :PP
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, as I tried to add a bit more detail than usual and hopefully I'm improving in my writing!
> 
> I'll see you all on the next update, and thank you again for your support!


	7. Sticky Situation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Growing up second place was never easy on her thoughts. Overtime in a workstation that couldn't care less about the conditions of their workers. Burdened by her growing desire to become something more, she packs her bags and sets out to a place her grandfather adored; Stardew Valley. Being left the deed to an old farm in Pelican Town- would she live the life she always wanted? Or will she be introduced to a new type of conflict?

Karissa, frozen in shock stared down at her rusted sword she was handed not too long prior to this moment. The green sludge stuck to the metal, oozing down from the tip. Her eyes widened in horror as it dripped onto her leg, sliding downwards from her soaked jeans.  
  
"This can't be real this can't be real this can't be real..." Reaching her hand towards the clear goo, it enveloped her fingers- filling each crevice. She gasped, reeling her hand away from the substance; it slowly reverted back to how it was before she put her fingers though it, as though nothing had even touched it before. Dawning on her, she looked at her hands, and back to the sword, hot shame and panic overriding her senses.  
  
"I killed it." She dropped the weapon, it emulating a soft 'clang' as it hit the hard floor of the mine shaft.  
  
"I just fucking murdered it. Oh no." Her throat clenched as she swallowed, clumsily grabbing at the handle of her sword. Shakily, she stood from her position and began to climb down the ladder once more. She needed to make sure that she wasn't imagining what she had killed. She needed to know.  
  
Making her way to the first floor once more, she turned to look for the ladder.  
  
It wasn't there.  
  
Shock and confusion consuming her entire body, she noticed that the entire floor was in a different layout. Raising her eyebrows up, she huffed in frustration as she grabbed her pick-axe from her back.  
  
"You have got to be fucking me." She raised her pick above her head, slamming it down onto one of the rocks below. Chipping at the boulder one by one, it finally collapsed.  
  
There was nothing beneath it. Sighing out in frustration, she raised her pick above her head once more, slamming it down onto the next boulder.  
Nothing.  
  
"What the fuck." She continued slamming her pick against the boulders, her body quickly becoming exhausted from the excessive amount of work she had put into each hit. Finally, she had gotten to the last boulder, her sore and tired arms raised above her shakily once again, only for her to bring them down onto the rock.  
  
The ladder.  
  
Nearly crying in happiness, she had put her pick back into her bag and began to make her way down to the next floor. Breathing in slowly, she had prepared herself and turned around.  
  
Two pink eyes stared back into hers, making a low buzzing noise. A scream lodged in the back of her throat, as the bug readied its stinger. She grabbed her sword as quickly as she could, hastily and haphazardly swinging it at the bug, making it splatter against the ground. Looking at the corpse of the bug, she noticed bright pink guts spewing out of it, shining against the floor.  
  
"This is so disgusting." She carefully stepped over the carcass, avoiding the bug meat as she continued on, noticing a shining purple ore within the corner of the room. Making her way towards it, she lifted her trembling arms above her head again and chipped her way at the stone, it revealing a bright purple gem. Her eyes lit up as she saw how shiny it was, placing it into her bag carefully as she reveled in ecstasy as she put her pick-axe back into her bag. She could definitely get used to this, even if there are gigantic scary bugs in the caves.  
  
She grabbed her sword once more and readied herself, gripping onto the handle tightly as she turned the corner.  
  
There it was. The slimy creature that she killed first. It slowly made its way to the other side of the cave, a little bobble on the top of its head. It had two googly-eyes in its body, staring intently as to where it was trying to go. Karissa grabbed onto her sword and prepared herself for an oncoming attack.  
  
The slime noticed her and began to charge. Jumping towards her, she reeled her sword back and swung at it.  
  
She never felt more proud of being in a high school softball team in her life.  
  
The slime flew back a few feet, an regained its bearings and began to tread towards her once more. Lifting her arms to swing back at it, the slime lunged towards again, hitting her in the stomach. Hissing in pain at the surprising force, Karissa thrust her sword into the slime and sliced upwards, splitting the head of it. It's eyes were lazily spread to either side of it's body that was still connected. Karissa felt a wave of nausea as the goo of the slime leaked out of it as it trailed towards her, preparing itself for another jump. She prepared herself this time, the throbbing in her stomach evident as she lifted her arms once more and sliced the creature in half.  
  
The eyes rolled from the slime, crumpling to dust. All that was left behind was a gooey, clear substance in its wake. Karissa, trembling, walked towards the pile and picked up the ooze, a feeling of morbid curiosity compelling her. She molded it to a small sphere and held it up by one side.  
  
It stayed together.  
  
A feeling a slight panic over-rode her senses.  
  
What if she wasn't supposed to kill them and they were sacred or something? She didn't know the history or customs of this valley. She instinctively put the slime into her bag and shut it, deciding that she should keep this a secret from the town- just in case. She remembered the bug she had killed earlier. Nearly gagging, she had picked up the bug meat and hid the corpse away. Looking at her sword that was covered in goo, she cringed, deciding to wipe it off on the inside of her shirt to hide the evidence of her crimes. Deciding it would be best to pretend she never killed three probably sacred creatures.  
  
Climbing up the ladder once more, she had felt anxiety at the prospect of her being kicked out of the valley or thrown in jail for murdering things she was probably not supposed to kill. The coldness of the dark and abandoned mine-shaft finally hit her as she entered the beginning floor, the atmosphere cutting through her as she made her way to the caves entrance. She reached her hand out of the opening, the cool rain pounded against her fingertips. Shivering from the cold, she felt a twinge of pain in her stomach from where she got hit.  
  
"Well," She began, "Let's do this."  
  
She ran out of the cave, her bag and tools bouncing as she made her way to the center square.  Slight anxiety rose in her body as she felt the crisp air kiss her face, her clothing soaked with her hair stuck to her in every which way. She made her way into the pub, the bell chiming in announcement.  
  
"Hi there Karissa. I'm glad to see you! You're always welcome here." Gus exclaimed, prompting Emily turned around to the door; only for her to see a disheveled Karissa soaked to the bone.  
  
"Karissa, you're soaked!" Emily exclaimed, staring at her new acquaintance in concern. Karissa moved to the right of the bar, resting her wet arms on the counter. Emily instinctively grabbed a cloth and lifted Karissa's arms up off of the table and set the cloth underneath her, stunning Karissa for a second before she started to laugh.  
  
"That isn't the first time I heard that today. It's absolutely terrible outside." Emily nodded, looking outside the window of the pub.  
  
"It never rains in the Calico Desert... That's where my friend Sandy lives." Karissa raised her brows slightly, nodding in understanding. Silently she prayed that no one could sense her panic.  
  
"I bet it's beautiful there, and with less chance of influenza." Karissa grumbled slightly, making Emily giggle at her impatience towards the weather. Emily then grabbed a glass and began to clean it.  
  
"The valley looks more interesting in the rain... don't you think?" The two women heard a soft voice coming from the next room. Turning around, Karissa noticed Abigail sitting on one of the couches.  
  
"Hey Abigail! Well, while I do agree with you there- I'm just waiting for a swamp monster to come up from the ground during rains like this mostly." Karissa teased, prompting Abigail's smile to widen slightly. Suddenly, Karissa heard a soft sigh behind her.  
  
"I wish I could've visited her today." Karissa raised an eyebrow, signally her to go on.  
  
"Our normal bus broke down not to long before you came here, so no one can really go anywhere because of it."  
  
"Ah." Karissa nodded in understanding, looking at the array of liquor among the wall. The smell of fresh food enticed her, however the thought of eating with the pain of what happened earlier made her lose her appetite, however the alcohol seemed glorious. Emily, taking note of the girls sudden quietness and took her attention away from the glasses, only to laugh at Karissa's clouded, far away look. Feeling a little flustered at the sudden noise, Karissa shot her eyes towards Emily and blushed a little, scratching her head.  
  
"Since you're here, why not get something?" Emily suggested, laughing at Karissa's surprised state. Taking a moment to look at the large variety of alcohol, her head began to go fuzzy as she laughed back.  
  
"Yeah, I'd like a beer if that's alright." Emily smiled wider and started to giggle. She brought out a glass and began to fill it from the keg.  
  
"Of course it is, as long as you have money." She winked back, Karissa only then realizing she hadn't looked at her expenses since she'd arrive. Looking into her bag, she looked shocked at the amount. Emily watching her reaction started at her quizzically while Karissa looked back at her.  
  
"How much money is it?" she asked. Puzzled, Emily cocked her head lightly.  
  
"400 gold. Do you not have enough?" Suddenly, Karissa broke out smiling, only to laugh at her own silly panic. If she didn't have enough to pay for one beer with over 12 hundred gold, then she would wonder if she was in the right town.  
  
"No, I have enough. I was actually surprised at how much I have so far since I've moved here." Emily broke out into a smile and started giggling in response as she handed Karissa her drink.  
  
"I guess being a farmer has it's perks?" Smiling back, Karissa gave her the gold and retrieved her drink.  
  
"Definitely." Lifting her drink up, she looked at Emily expectantly. Emily stared mildly confused for a second, only to realize what Karissa was implying. Smiling at the silliness of the younger girl, she lifted the glass she was shining and tapped it against hers. Karissa then took a sip of it, allowing the alcoholic liquid heal her body and soul from the days events.  
  
"This really makes the day worth it." Karissa spoke, her voice slightly husky from the tingling sensation through her throat, fear of being found out long forgotten by the taste. Emily laughed and continued shining the glasses.  
  
"Try not to become addicted to it, I don't want to have to walk you home every night." Laughing at Emily's statement, she set the drink down as she felt the pain in her stomach going away.  
  
"I'll have you know I've always won the drunk goggle game at the fair back home." She teased, putting her lips against the glass once more to drink. Emily's eyes peeked with interest at her words.  
  
"Where did you move from, anyway?" Giggling at Emily's curiosity, she finished off her beer and set the empty mug on the counter.  
  
"For that information, you'll have to wait." She winked, prompting Emily to roll her eyes.  
  
"I won't stop asking, either." Karissa laughed again, playing with the empty glass.  
  
"I hope you don't." The bell rang again, diverting Karissa and Emily's attention. Walking through the door was Sebastian, his hair and clothing covered in rain as he shook his hair dry slightly, causing his hair to become full again. Grumbling to herself, Karissa stared in envy.

"Lucky bastard just has to flip his hair to make it perfect." Emily, giggling at her troubles waved towards Sebastian.  
  
"Hello! It's nice to see you again. I'm starting to wonder if the town is going to be taken over by sea-creatures." She joked, Sebastian turning to face the cobalt haired woman.  
  
"If you're lucky, you might see a frog in this weather. I doubt the ocean will flood." Before Karissa could comment, the door slammed open, making the bell practically useless.  
  
"I'm parched!" Pam strode in confidently, walking towards the bar. Gus instantly sprang to motion to get her a drink. Emily noticing Karissa's confusion, placed the glass she was polishing with the others.  
  
"Pam is a regular, and shes Gus's best friend so he already knows what she likes." Smiling a little, Karissa giggles as the door opens again, revealing Leah. Recalling her from the first day she moved to Stardew Valley, she waved towards her.  
  
"Hey Leah, what's up?" Karissa asked, and Leah approached her.  
  
"Nothing much, really," She smiled softly, "I was thinking about what to make for dinner when I get home. Maybe I should cook something new and exciting today. Something spicy." Karissa smiled back at her, nodding at her choice.  
  
"Definitely, spicy is always the way to go." Laughing, Leah agreed with her.  
  
"I'm more of a savory type myself." Emily added, politely disagreeing with the two. Giggling, Karissa made a mental note of that for later.  
  
"I'll keep that in mind." The bell rung again and two men walked through the door, the first Shane and the other Doctor Harvey.  
  
"Hey." Karissa waved towards Shane. He took his drink from Emily and stared at Karissa, only to huff and look away. Sighing, Karissa waved towards the doctor to her left.  
  
"Hello Doctor Harvey. How are you?" Harvey smiled in response, nodding in her direction.  
  
"Hello, Karissa. I'm doing well, however you should really dry off. You could catch a cold like that." Karissa smiled at his concern and laughed lightly, watching Emily wash the used mugs.  
  
"I will when I get home, thank you for your concern, Doctor." Willy then walked through the door, taking off his hat and flapping the water off of it, only to set it back onto the top of his head.  
  
"Hello, lass. I need a little warm-me-up to be ready for another cold night on the ocean." He smiled, as Emily walked around the bar to give him his order.  
  
"Wow, this place is booming tonight, isn't it?" Karissa commented, looking at all the people currently there.  
  
"This happens multiple times a week, and I welcome it!" Gus interjected, laughing as he got another drink ready. The sound of the glasses clinking and the firewood going gave the pub a cozy feeling to it, relaxing Karissa from her extremely stressful day. Grudgingly, she stood up and grabbed her items.  
  
"I should be leaving now, anyway. Night Emily, everyone!" Karissa called out lightly, exiting the building to go home. Her exhaustion was beginning to get the better of her, as she trudged through the mud into her small cabin. Getting changed out of her clothing, she then took her contacts out and cleaned them off, placing them into their case before settling down into the firm mattress.  
  
_'Hopefully no one notices anything missing from the caves...'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here we are with a new chapter! I hope you guys like it, I'm still experimenting on my writing style and I hope it's getting better!
> 
> I love you guys who support this story and I hope you guys have a fantastic week as well. 
> 
> Until next time, au revoir!

**Author's Note:**

> And there we have it for chapter one! I've been heavily into the Stardew Valley series ever since I bought the game, and I wanted to see what it would be like to write a fanfiction about it with just a tad more drama involved. And by a tad, I mean a whole lot. 
> 
> This is my first story on this website as well, so I figured I may as well give it a go!


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